Rope machine



I Patented Sept. 26, 1922..

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

J. M. CATTOOR.

ROPE MACHINE.

APPLlCATlON man MAY 2a. 1921.

I} M.CATTO0R. ROPE MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 23. I921.

-.1,430,519. 4 Patenteasept. 26,1922.

3 SH EETS--SHEET 2.

Patented Sept. 25, 1922.

UNITED TES PArsnr orrf cs.

JOE M. CATTOOR, 0F EATON, COLORADO.

ROPE MACHINE.

Application filed May 23,

a simple and eflicient means for manually constructing twisted rope ofvarious thicknesses to suit the purpose for which it is designed and andesired length and any preferred materials; and with this object in Viewthe invention consists'in a construction and combination of parts ofwhich 'a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Figure 1 is a view of the apparatus showing the relation of the partswhen the strands are first appliedthereto ready for twisting. a

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the follower advanced a portion ofthe distance between the anchoring member and the twisting member.

Figure 8 is a detail'view in perspective and enlarged of the anchoringmember.

Figure 4 is. a plan view of the follower.

Figure 5 is a side view partly in section of the twisting member. I

Figure 6 is a face view of the twister head.

Figure 7 is a sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 77 ofFigure 5.

Figure 8 is a section on the plane indicated by the line 8-8 of Figure5, and

Figure 9 is a View illustrating the manner in which the device is usedto twist a short length of rope;

The apparatus consists essentially of a twister member 10 and an anchormember 11 thelatter consisting primarily of a hook l2 swiveled as at 13in a looped keeper 14 provided with an eye or opening 15 adapted forengagement. with a supporting nail 16 or any other object by which itmaybe held in a fixed position subject to the strain. of twisting therope, Associated with the hook l2 andforming a part of the anchoringmember is a hanger loop 17 pivotally mounted .as at 18 upon .the keeper14 and having separable aligned terminals 19 yieldingly held b h ilie ce9f h h g r; in l ef? 1921. Serial No. 471/337.

minal contact and adapted to combine when in their normal position toform a pivot for a follower plate 20 provided with a series of strandseats 21of which four are shown on the drawing and diametricallyopposite radial extensions constituting arms 22, adapted for use ashereinafter fully explained, the center of the plate constituting thefollower being upstruck to form a rib 23 provided at its terminals withopenings 24 for the reception-of the terminals 19 of the hanger: loopsas indicated in Figure 1. The twister member consists essentially of atwister head 25 having a spindle 26 provided at its outer. end with acrank arm 2'? fitted with a revoluble grip 28, a sleevev29 of tubularform constituting a bearing for the s indle and a handle 30 mounted ex-.terior yupon, the sleeve.

The head 25 consists of the complemental disks 31 and 32 of which thelatter is provided with a central threaded or tapped it opening 33 forengagement by the threaded extremity of the sleeve 29, saidfdisks beingprovided with a plurality of sets or pairs of registering bearingsin'which are fitted the stems 34 of the twister hooks 35', the latterbeing pivoted as at 36 to the stems. The disks 31 and 32 are connectedtogether by screws 31 The innerrends of the stems are headed as at 87and between the planes of the complemental. disks forming theelements ofthe twister head are provided with keys 38 for engagement withcorresponding notches in pinions 39 which are in engagement with a gear40 keyed as at 41 to the spindle 26. The direction of rotation of thegear and pinions and hence of the twister hooks is controlled by ratchetmecha nism consisting of a reversible pawl 42 pivoted as at 43 upon oneof the disks of the head for engagement with the peripheral teeth of themain gear 40, the outer end or tail of the pawl as shown at 43 beingconnected with an actuating spring 44 having a terminal clip 45 adaptedby engagement with opposite ends of the slot 4611111116 flange of thedisk 31 to reverseand yieldingly holdthe pawl in such relat on with thegear 40 as to permit rotary movement thereof in only one direction. Theex:

i mounted a fing r slide orl push button 49 r held in place by a guidepin 50 engaging a lOIlgitudiIlal slot 51 and terminally adapted forengagement with a seat 52 in the disk 32 to lock the twister headagainst rotation relative to the handle 30.

A suspending loop or ring 53 is preferably mounted upon the end of thespindle 26 for supporting the twister head during the laying on orarrangement of the strands which are to form the rope and which at theopposite end are engaged with the swivel hook 12.

The apparatus illustrated is provided for a four strand rope andobviously any desired number or bulk 01"- fibres may be used in theformation of each strand, it being preferable to have all of the strandsof a uniform thickness but the selected thickness being such as toprovide a rope of the required strength and diameter. The anchoring andtwisting members being suitably supported at the desired interval apart,the strands may be engaged respectively with the anchoring hook and thetwister hook, the hanger loop 17 being meanwhile allowed to hang freelydownward out of the way as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, andafter the strands have been arranged the follower head or plate 20should be introduced between the strands, so that each strand oc cupiesone of the seats 21 and the terminals 19 of the hanger loop should thenbe separated and engaged with the openings 2% to hold the follower headin a fixed position.

The controlling pawl 42 then being arranged in the desired position,according to the direction in which the rope is to be twisted, thehandle 30 should be grasped in one hand and the crank grip in the otherand the crank should be turned to cause rotary movement of the twisterhooks until the required tightness of twist of the strands has beenattained. Then continuing the twisting operation, the follower headshould by an attendant or assistant be disengaged from the hanger loopand slowly advanced by means of the radial grips 2:2 toward the twisterhead, obviously permitting the strands to intertwist in rear thereof asindicated in Figure 2 of the drawing until the follower head has reacheda position in contact with the hooks of the twister head. This operationproduces a hard rope of uniform twist and tightness, similar in everyrespect to that which is produced by machinery.

' Should a short length of rope be desired, the anchoring member may bedispensed with, the ends of the strands remote" from the twister headbeing engaged with a 'nail or stationary hook of desired form, and afterthe twisting of the strandsha's been completed in accordance with theabove de scription the push button {19 may be moved to release thetwister head to permit it to rotate under the influence of thetwist'which.

has been imparted respectively to the strands, the turning of thespindle however being continued throughout this twisting movement of thehead so as to insure a proper intertwisting of the strands whilemaintaining the tightness of the twist of the strands individually. Thelast named an rangenient and use of the apparatus are indicated inFigure 9.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. A rope machinehaving an anchoring member and a twisting member, the latter having atwister head, a plurality of twister hooks for respective engagementwith the strands to be twisted, an operating spindle, gear connectionsbetween the spindle and said twister hooks, a handle journaledon saidspindle, and means to connect the handle for unitary movement with thehead and spindle.

2. A rope machine having an anchoring member and a twisting member, thelatter having a twister head, a plurality of twister hooks forrespective engagement with the strands to be twisted, an operatingspindle, and gear connections between the spindle and said twisterhooks, the twister head be ing carried by a sleeve fitted upon the spindle, a handle revolubly mounted upon the sleeve and means for lockingthe handle to the twister head.

3. A rope machine having an anchoring member and a twisting member, thelatter having a twister head, a plurality of twister hooks forrespective engagement with the strands to be twisted, an operatingspindle, and gear connections between the spindle and said twisterhooks, the twister head being carried by a sleeve revolubly mounted uponthe said spindle and means for securing the twister head againstrotation during the operation of the twister hooks.

l. A rope machine having an anchoring member and a twisting member, thelatter having a twister head, a plurality of twister hooks forrespective engagement with the strands to be twisted, an operatingspindle, and gear connections between the spindle and said twisterhooks, the twister head'being carried by a sleeve revolubly mounted uponsaid spindle, a handle inwhich the tread. sleeve is revolubly fitted andwhich carries a terminal ferrule, and a locking de-v vice mounted uponthe ferrule for engagement with the twister head to secure the latteragainst rotation during the operation of the twister hooks.

5. A rope machine having an anchoring member and a twisting member, thelatter having a twister head, a plurality of twister hooks forrespective engagement with the strands to be twisted, an operatingspindle and gear connections between the spindle and "said twisterhooks, said connections having a main gear actuable by the spindle andpinions carried by the stems of the twister hook and engaged with saidmain gear, and a reversible ratchet means for determining the directionof rotation of said gear.

6. A rope machine having an anchoring member and a twisting member, thelatter having a twister head, a plurality of twister hooks forrespective engagement with the strands to be twisted, an operatingspindle, and gear connections between the spindle and said twisterhooks, said gear connections having a main gear carried by the spindle,pinions carried by the stems of the twister hook in mesh with said maingear, and ratchet mechanism consisting of a reversible pawl engaged withthe main gear and having an actuating spring provided with a clip forreversible engagement with the twister head.

7 A rope machine having an anchoring member for the strands, a followerfor said strands, and a separable connection between said anchoringmember and said follower whereby the latter may be released for movementalong said strands.

8. A rope machine having an anchoring member for the strands, a followerhaving teeth to receive said strands, handle means for said follower,and a separable connection between said anchoring member and saidfollower whereby the latter may be released from movement along saidstrands.

9. A rope machine having an anchoring member for the strands providedwith a resilient loop, the follower for the strands, said loop havingseparable terminals to separably engage the follower, whereby saidfollower may be released for movement along said strands.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOE M. CATTOOR.

Witnesses:

L. F. Enron, R. L. ANDERSON.

